Infiltration
THEORY
Ethics
Observations
 
PRACTICE
Abandoned Sites
Boats
Churches
Drains/Catacombs
Hotels/Hospitals
Transit Tunnels
Utility Tunnels
Various
 
RESOURCES
Exploration Timeline
Infilnews
Infilspeak Dictionary
Usufruct Blog
Worldwide Links
Infiltration Forums home | search | login | register

Reply
Infiltration Forums > Private Boards Index > Film photography > Pentax Spotmatic F?(Viewed 1569 times)
insanebuslady location:
?
 
 |  |  | AIM Message
Pentax Spotmatic F?
< on 8/3/2010 4:35 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
I've been meaning to get a plain-jane manual 35mm SLR for a while now, and today a fellow at work offered to sell me a Spotmatic F with a 50mm f/1.4 and a 80-200mm lens for 25 bucks.

Anyone have any experience with this camera? Like or dislike? It's pretty ugly IMO, a little larger than what I'm looking, and I have a Ricoh Singlex TLS that's a clone of the same camera, and its awful. That being said, the price is right, and if I dont like it could make a few bucks on ebay selling the body/lenses.

Should I just forgo this camera and get the FG body I want that will mount most of my lenses and that I know is a great camera, or am I stupid to pass it up at this price?



argonian location:
Toronto, ON
 
 |  | 
Re: Pentax Spotmatic F?
<Reply # 1 on 8/3/2010 4:56 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
How dare you say they are ugly. One of the most beautiful cameras I ever owned. Obviously we come from wildly differing points of view so I will not provide and opinion.



Que pasa, baby?
insanebuslady location:
?
 
 |  |  | AIM Message
Re: Pentax Spotmatic F?
<Reply # 2 on 8/3/2010 5:12 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by argonian
How dare you say they are ugly. One of the most beautiful cameras I ever owned. Obviously we come from wildly differing points of view so I will not provide and opinion.


No offense intended! That's why I said "IMO" but maybe I should have elaborated. I'm more curious about the functionality of the camera and quality of photos and overall how pleased you were with it, aesthetics aside



RenegadeOfFunk location:
Boston, MA
 
 |  |  | AIM Message
Re: Pentax Spotmatic F?
<Reply # 3 on 8/3/2010 2:20 PM >
Posted on Forum: Infiltration ForumsQuote
I have no experience with it, but you can't exactly go wrong for $25. Especially when it comes with two lenses. I tend to buy cameras under $50 without much thought and just use them as beaters. I take them to parties, under the motorcycle seat, in horrible weather, or wherever I think it may get destroyed.

You can also get insanely cheap and sharp m42 mount lenses for them. Pick it up, grab a cable release, and start researching m42 mount lenses and you won't be disappointed.



insanebuslady location:
?
 
 |  |  | AIM Message
Re: Pentax Spotmatic F?
<Reply # 4 on 8/3/2010 2:50 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by RenegadeOfFunk
I have no experience with it, but you can't exactly go wrong for $25. Especially when it comes with two lenses. I tend to buy cameras under $50 without much thought and just use them as beaters. I take them to parties, under the motorcycle seat, in horrible weather, or wherever I think it may get destroyed.

You can also get insanely cheap and sharp m42 mount lenses for them. Pick it up, grab a cable release, and start researching m42 mount lenses and you won't be disappointed.


This seems like pretty wise advice. Can't really go wrong for $25. And I believe my Singlex uses the same mount, so my 55 from that should work for it too



EatsTooMuchJam location:
Minneapolis, MN
 
 |  |  | Add to ICQ | Yahoo! IM | AIM Message | Photography Site
Re: Pentax Spotmatic F?
<Reply # 5 on 8/3/2010 3:20 PM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
Posted by insanebuslady


No offense intended! That's why I said "IMO" but maybe I should have elaborated. I'm more curious about the functionality of the camera and quality of photos and overall how pleased you were with it, aesthetics aside


With a film camera, the overall quality of the photos is far more a matter of the lens than the body. Most questions about the body would be more largely a matter of feel and mechanics and are likely to be far more of a personal preference thing than a hard and fast rule. The rest would involve reliability/accuracy of the shutter, and for those, a google search usually suffices.



"The large print giveth and the small print taketh away."
-Tom Waits
SPEK Photo location:
Where you were not.
 
 |  |  | 
Re: Pentax Spotmatic F?
<Reply # 6 on 8/8/2010 3:55 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
I own one and also a Pentax ESII the second has big shutter problem but the F is a very good camera, very reliable. The SMC lens serie for the F permit open aperture metering and have very very sharp glass. There is plenty of nice fast aperture lens for cheap on ebay. Things like 85 f1.8, 135 f2.5 300 f4 etc. are avery nice.



Pour fins d'archives.

WWW.EXPLORATIONURBAINE.CA
budda location:
Cincinnati
 
 |  |  | Up Here
Re: Pentax Spotmatic F?
<Reply # 7 on 8/30/2010 2:20 AM >
Posted on Forum: UER ForumQuote
I've never used a spotmatic, but I've used it's successor K1000, which is damn near the same camera besides the lens mount. It's bulky, but quite satisfying to hold and use. The film winder's rotation angle is a little far for my taste, but the light meter's quite visible.

For the price though i'd say take it, especially given the lenses. The 50mm F1.4's a great lens.



Awesome Music

Why couldn't you put the bunny back in the box? - Nicholas Cage
Infiltration Forums > Private Boards Index > Film photography > Pentax Spotmatic F?(Viewed 1569 times)
Reply

Add a poll to this thread



This thread is in a public category, and can't be made private.

Powered by AvBoard AvBoard version 1.5 alpha
Page Generated In: 62 ms